Arsenal Vs BATE Borisov: Mesut Ozil good, but a long way to go

Mesut Ozil returned to the Arsenal line-up in Thursday’s 3-0 win over BATE Borisov. The German was good, tidy, neat, but not his quite his best just yet. There is still a long way to go to prove his doubters wrong.

The story of the week culminated on Thursday night. Mesut Ozil, after missing the first leg through injury and falling out of Unai Emery’s thinking at the Emirates, returned to the Arsenal starting XI in a 3-0 victory over BATE Borisov.

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He played well. Neat and tidy in possession, some lovely reverse passes and clever cut-backs, that unique guile and craft in the final third that few players in the world can replicate. He was not quite as his sublime best, but he was smooth and calm. It is no surprise the Arsenal attack was markedly improved upon his return.

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After the match, Emery was asked about Ozil’s performance — Emery has been cast as a critic of Ozil with his team selections throughout the season. This is what he said:

"“Today I am happy and this is the way we want with him [Ozil] <…> Yes, he needs to be available and carry on. He wants to do this and today he showed what he wants <…> His spirit like today is good and his quality and capacity and combination with some players is good, like with Guendouzi and Micki and Iwobi in the attacking third. I think we need every player and today playing Mesut was important and positive.”"

I think that is a fair assessment of Ozil’s showing. Good, positive, encouraging, but there is still a long way to go.

The problem I have with over-praising Ozil is two-fold. Firstly, this was BATE Borisov. The gulf in quality was clear and Ozil, as one of the most gifted attacking players in the league, could waltz his way through the pitch and be the best footballer without really trying. And secondly, and perhaps more pertinently, these are not the games in which he should be assessed.

No one was complaining about Ozil’s performances against lesser teams when Arsenal dominate possession and he can focus on pulling the proverbial strings in and around the penalty area. It was when he was pressed high up the pitch, against more athletic, physical opponents, when challenged by the best teams in the Premier League, that the concerns lay.

There is still a long way to go for Ozil to prove himself worthy of the eighth-highest contract in the world and the status as the cornerstone player of the Emery era. In two weeks when Arsenal travel to Spurs in the north London derby. That is when I want to see Ozil run a game. Not against Belarusian nobodies who have played just one competitive match since November.

Ozil is a terrific player. He has a wonderful talent. There are few players that I prefer watching play than him when he is at his flowing, graceful best. And this performance was getting there. Not there yet, but getting there. I hope he can now continue to prove me and many others wrong.